Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Year in review ­ January to June



Winstock celebrated 10 years of going strong; the Longhorn
Days carnival ­ a long-time fixture at the annual celebration ­
was not present; and fire destroyed a downtown Winsted building in the first
part of 2003.

New Germany also welcomed a familiar face, Frank Schoenke,
as its new mayor, a Lester Prairie graduate climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, and
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted won its first ever state baseball championship.

Lester Prairie couple Randy and Charlotte Bruns became
the new managers of the Biscay Liquor Store . . . Looking back to 1965,
a Star Tribune article featuring the Lester Prairie pool was reprinted,
including a photo of plumber Henry Ristow . . .

Unusual weather caused about five fishhouses to fall into
Winsted Lake . . . Janice Kieser retired after 23 years of service at the
Winsted Post Office . . . Three unrelated traffic accidents occurred along
McLeod County Road 9 near Lester Prairie . . . Mayor Franklin Schoenke was
sworn in at the first New Germany City Council meeting of the New Year .
. .

The Pantry Cafe was closed for one week following a small
grease fire . . . Garret Ehrke returned home from climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro
. . . Roger Weiland, former owner of Roger’s Jack and Jill Roger, passed
away at age 59 . . . The Lester Prairie community pool task force formed
and began looking for volunteers to help enhance the swimming pool . . .
Jose Cuadros of Winsted was arrested for pulling a gun on his ex wife .
. .

Many people from Holy Trinity participated in the March
for Life at the state capitol . . . Sterner Lighting laid off 24 employees.

Travis Grenke took a two-week mission trip to Africa .
. . Nearly 60 kids were sick at Lester Prairie Schools with the stomach
flu one day . . .

Terry Berg and Stacy Bebo were married before Berg’s deployment
overseas . . . Fire destroyed a shed at Jim Campbell’s residence . . . Jim
and Arla Kubasch’s farm, near New Germany, was featured in the book “Life
on the Farm” by Dean Riggott . . .

New grocery store in Lester Prairie? Carey Nelson pitched
his plan for opening a new store to the Lester Prairie Business Association
. . . Maureen Silva, the daughter of Richard and Joan Genty, met President
George Bush . . . Treasure Hunt was sold to Randy Studola of New Germany,
who is leasing the consignment shop portion of the building to Tom Schmidt,
who owns ShadowBrooke Golf Course . . .

Lenny and Linda Juncewski proposed a new development east
of Lester Prairie . . . Fire destroyed a shed/office building at Balow’s
Auto Salvage . . . long-time Winsted druggist Herb Roufs died at the age
of 90 . . . Dave Klitzke was on the committee to plan the replacement for
the Profile of Learning . . .

A new developer stepped forward in New Germany’s Black
Forest Estates development . . . Leah Mallak of Winsted opened Leah’s Shear
Inspiration and Tanning.

Childhood friends Sean Drew, Andrew Roufs, and Charlie
Remer served in the Marines together . . . Local inventors Calvin Dolezal
and Ervin Pundsack were ready to market their hands-free level . . .

A Polish Horseshoe league is in its third year at the Blue
Note, providing winter entertainment . . . Reserve police officer Mark Anderson
became a licensed police officer, after working many years as a reserve
officer . . . The Lester Prairie Ambassador Program’s carnival was a success.

Metro calling is one step closer to reality in Winsted,
as all of the needed petitions were acquired by Bonnie Quast . . . Lester
Prairie graduate Molly Martin was studying in the Army’s intelligence program
in California . . .

Former Holy Trinity priest Fr. Gerry Hillesheim died at
age 60 following a fight with cancer . . . A local Girl Scout troop sent
cookies and care packages to the 28 people from the Winsted area serving
in the military . . .

Lauren Bohn, a survivor of the Columbine school shootings,
spoke at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Winsted . . . Winsted is getting
DSL Internet access.

Husband and wife Myron Oftedahl and Sonja Johnson work
with victims of domestic violence in McLeod County . . . A downtown TIF
(Tax Increment Financing) district will include all of Main Avenue in Winsted
. . .

Marty and Lisa Hirsch and Allen Fiecke of Winsted became
new owners of Pier 65 supper club near Brainerd . . . An electrical fire
destroyed the trailer home of Josh Shesta and Pamela Bajula in Lester Prairie
. . . Lester Prairie was awarded a $932,700 grant for trade and economic
development . . .

Fred and Jane Holasek celebrated 25 years in the greenhouse
industry . . . The City of Mayer expressed interest in a joint sewage plant
with New Germany . . . Sergio Sanchez-Diaz was found guilty of murder following
a stabbing in a Lester Prairie mobile home . . . The Stumpf Bridge wreck
was profiled . . .

Winsted’s Sandra Martin worked with movie special effects
on a short film project . . . Bob Kegler enjoys many types of art, including
painting and ballroom decorating . . . The Top Dog Foundation was founded
near New Germany, providing a home for older, unadoptable dogs . . . A controlled
burn at a barn west of Winsted became the real deal when flames jumped a
road and started a field of grass on fire . . .

Police arrested Charles Morrow of Clearwater after his
truck became stuck in the mud east of Winsted. His truck contained a large
quantity of methamphetamine and products to make the drug . . .

The Winsted City Council was told it would have to lower
Winsted’s arsenic levels in the city’s drinking water . . . Holy Trinity
seniors Jessica Scherer and Brian Guennigsman were just grade points apart
as they neared their graduation . . .

Sterner Lighting has been lighting up sports arenas across
America . . . The City of Winsted came up with the first Winsted Pride Awards,
presented for great-looking properties . . . Holy Trinity junior Mandi Stifter
is the Minnesota Jersey Queen . . . Lester Building Systems of Lester Prairie
was being sold to an employee group . . . Lester Prairie councilwoman Michele
Anderson reported harassment about the pool issue . . .

Parents pressed the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted school
board to look into a one-campus idea . . . Mark and Lynne Garbers of Silver
Lake plan to open a meat market in downtown Lester Prairie . . . Paul Schermann
joined the Lester Prairie Police Department . . . The New Germany City Hall
needs a new roof.

After a season of fundraising, the Lester Prairie pool
will open for Longhorn Days . . . Polka Fest took place, put on by local
organizers Audrey Litzau and Jake Bandemer . . . Officer Glen Strom joins
the Winsted Police Department . . .

Sara Evans was interviewed by Herald Journal in support
of her upcoming appearance at Winstock. Winstock 2003 featured Ronnie Milsap,
Gary Allan, Martina McBride, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Darryl Worley, Trick Pony,
Loretta Lynn, Evans, and John Michael Montgomery at its 10th anniversary
celebration . . .

The City of Winsted looked at a four-way stop at the intersection
of Main Ave. and McLeod County Road 1. The city liked the idea, but also
needed county support . . . New Germany declined sharing a wastewater treatment
plant with Mayer . . .

The Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Lakers baseball team was
Class 1 A state champions . . . Holy Trinity graduate Jeremy Kucera was
ordained as a deacon of the Catholic church at a ceremony in Silver Lake
. . . Andrew Stockman, who was wanted for making threats of harm on someone,
in addition to having another warrant out for his arrest, was captured at
the Winsted Motel . . . The Lester Prairie City Council looks at plans
for remodeling its city hall . . .

The Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted school board planned on
asking residents to vote on a 47.7 million building bond this fall . . .
Beth Weisenburger was crowned Miss Lester Prairie, in addition to the Lester
Prairie pool having its grand opening at Longhorn Days. A long-time fixture
at the celebration, the carnival, was absent, and people had differing reasons
and explanations as to why it was not there . . .

Four fire departments spent five-and-a- half hours at the
scene of a fire at Infinity Editions in downtown Winsted. The building was
destroyed . . .

Millerbernd Manufacturing celebrating its 30th year of
having its large flag pole . . . Local police officers reacted to the change
in Minnesota’s conceal and carry law.

to be continued………..

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.